BILL NUMBER: ACR 125	CHAPTERED  02/22/00

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER   27
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   FEBRUARY 22, 2000
	ADOPTED IN SENATE   FEBRUARY 16, 2000
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY   FEBRUARY 15, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   FEBRUARY 15, 2000

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Villaraigosa
   (Principal coauthor: Senator Murray)
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Aroner, Correa, Davis, Dutra,
Firebaugh, Florez, Floyd, Hertzberg, Honda, Jackson, Keeley, Knox,
Kuehl, Leach, Longville, Lowenthal, Machado, Mazzoni, Migden, Nakano,
Romero, Scott, Shelley, Soto, Steinberg, Strom-Martin, Torlakson,
Vincent, Wayne, Wiggins, Wildman,  Wright, Alquist, Bates, Battin,
Baugh, Bock, Briggs, Calderon, Cardenas, Cardoza, Cedillo, Corbett,
Cox, Cunneen, Dickerson, Ducheny, Frusetta, Gallegos, Granlund,
Havice, Lempert, Leonard, Maldonado, Margett, McClintock, Olberg,
Oller, Robert Pacheco, Rod Pacheco, Papan, Pescetti, Reyes,
Strickland, Thomson, Washington, Wesson, and Zettel)
   (Coauthors: Senators Bowen, Burton, Costa, Dunn, Figueroa, Hayden,
Hughes, Karnette, Kelley, McPherson, Ortiz, Peace, Perata, Rainey,
Sher, Speier, and Vasconcellos)

                        FEBRUARY 11, 2000

   Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 125--Relative to California
Neighborhood and Community Parks Month.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 125, Villaraigosa.  California Neighborhood and Community
Parks Month.
   This measure would proclaim the month of March 2000 as California
Neighborhood and Community Parks Month, and would encourage the
people of this state to reflect upon the positive benefits that our
local and regional parks provide every person in California.




   WHEREAS, Neighborhood and community parks strengthen a community's
image and sense of place by serving as a central gathering place for
civic, community, and family activities; and
   WHEREAS, Neighborhood and community parks have provided facilities
and play areas for countless hours of recreational enjoyment for
families, youth, and athletic enthusiasts of all ages; and
   WHEREAS, Neighborhood and community parks provide underserved
urban communities with urgently needed facilities and open space in
their neighborhoods; and
   WHEREAS, These parks provide physical benefits to a community's
overall image, strengthening the economy of community businesses and
spurring local economic revitalization efforts in underserved
neighborhoods; and
   WHEREAS, Programs and services are offered at parks that enrich
the mental and physical health of all Californians, especially for
children and senior citizens; and
   WHEREAS, Parks provide a broad range of recreational activities
including fishing, hiking, camping, bird watching, baseball, and
soccer; and
   WHEREAS, Neighborhood and community parks provide programs for
children to help improve computer and reading skills by offering
homework assistance, mentoring, arts, and a wide range of
recreational and physical activities; and
   WHEREAS, Constructive and positive after-school activities offer
children an alternative to gang involvement, drugs, and keep them
away from violence; and
   WHEREAS, Neighborhood and community parks provide safe venues for
senior citizens, a place for interaction among California's elderly,
providing mental and physical activities for those persons who are
retired, unemployed, or stricken with debilitating illness such as
Alzheimer's; and
   WHEREAS, Greenbelt and open-space benefits in urban and rural
areas of the state provide view-sheds as a contrast to neighboring
residential and commercial development; and
   WHEREAS, Neighborhood and community parks play an important role
in protecting and preserving California's treasured wildlife and
habitat, providing communities with opportunities to view nature in
their backyards; and
   WHEREAS, Previous generations upheld their responsibility to
protect and preserve California's irreplaceable historical and
natural resources, setting aside wildlife habitats, open space, and
local parks for future generations; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby proclaims the month
of March 2000 as California Neighborhood and Community Parks Month,
and encourages the people of this state to reflect on the positive
benefits that our local and regional parks provide every person in
California; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
